


Orphans

by JediDiplomat



Category: Leverage
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-09
Updated: 2009-01-09
Packaged: 2017-10-22 12:44:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/238124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediDiplomat/pseuds/JediDiplomat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Parker stayed where she was as the others walked off.  The city was pretty in the dark.  All lit up and glittering.  Too bad during the day you could really see it for what it was, dark and dirty and pathetic.  Like her.  She'd thought that stealing things, having money, would make it all go away, but it hadn't, not so far.  She wanted to hide all of it, pretend it never happened just like all those foster families pretended she never existed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Orphans

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to the lovely [](http://onci-dium.livejournal.com/profile)[**onci_dium**](http://onci-dium.livejournal.com/) and [](http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=linnearys)[****](http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=linnearys)for the awesome beta and title idea.

"Hey."  
   
Parker blinked; she hadn’t realized that she wasn't alone.  She swallowed and glanced to her right.   
   
"I was worried about you."  
   
Parker frowned mulishly. "You shouldn't be."  
   
Eliot reached out and pulled her to him.  Wrapped her up, like she was a little girl and Eliot was her blanket, and kissed her forehead.  "I can take care of myself," she muttered.  
   
"I know," Eliot agreed.  "But this isn't like any other case for you."  
   
"Shouldn't matter," Parker said, and she realized that her eyes were welling up.  Stupid emotions getting in the way.  She wanted this stupid case over with so they could go back to Chicago and she could never have to think about her childhood again.  Or what that guy said about the orphans.  She sniffled and she hated herself for it. 

Eliot said nothing, just letting her have the moment, and she wasn't sure if she hated him or loved him for that.  She pulled away enough to wipe her eyes and Eliot kissed her forehead.  
   
"C'mon," he said, and turned, his arm never leaving her shoulders.  She followed, not because she didn't want to be alone, and definitely not because it felt nice being wrapped up in his arms.  She went because she wanted to, she didn't want to be alone and she didn't want to feel all these things.  She wanted something to distract her, and Eliot seemed to be willing to be that distraction.  It wasn't like it was the first time either, they'd done this before, a few times, but not since the horse girl.  
   
They went back to Eliot's room. Parker wasn't really surprised.  He didn't like being in places that weren't safe; she understood that; she got that he liked the familiar.  She didn't mind--she was transient, so used to never feeling safe that going to his room wasn't any different than going to her own room.  
   
"Hey," he said again and Parker realized she'd gone into her own little world for a minute.  That was bad; she couldn't do that if she wanted to stay sharp, stay safe.  Stupid case, stupid Parker.  "What's going on in that freaky head of yours?"  Eliot asked, his hand slowly coming up to push her hair back, as if she was one of those scared horses he worked on.  
   
"What happened to horse girl?"  Parker said instead.  
   
Eliot smiled softly, "That isn't what you were thinking."  
   
"How do you know?  I think a lot of things."  
   
Eliot smiled at her and Parker had the urge to hit him.  She didn't want his pity and she didn't want to talk about this.  Still, she didn't pull away, because it felt nice with his arm around her, his hand pushing back her hair.   
   
"I'm not leaving," he said quietly and Parker did shove him away then.  Shoved him away and would have been out the door, but he was faster and he grabbed her and held her tight.  "I'm not leaving," he said again and she was cold, so very cold and that was stupid because the hotel had heat, Hardis had demanded heat, said he couldn't function without it.  Which was stupid because he complained about the heat in Texas too.  
   
Then she was warm again, that feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket, and damn Eliot for making her feel like that.  He was making her soft, making her depend on people and the only person Parker had ever been able to depend upon was herself.  They all were and she didn't like it.  What was going to happen to her when this ended and she was alone again?   
   
Eliot's mouth on hers stopped that rampaging thought and she reminded herself that she wanted to be here.  Right now.  Not thinking about her past or her future.  Eliot was here and willing to be here for however long and she was going to take what he offered.  Like she always had.  She relaxed against him, her body pressing close, wanting to feel that safe warm feeling again.  
   
They were moving and then she was on her back, Eliot's rough hands sliding over her body.  It was slow and gentle and she wasn't sure she wanted that, not at all.  The other times hadn't been gentle, they’d been quick and fast.  Something to do, something to see between jobs.  It hadn't meant anything and she didn't want this to mean anything either.  "What..." she started to say but Eliot silenced her.  
   
"Let me," he said and she subsided.  This was about him, and she could do that for him.  Let him take care of her because he needed it, not because she was weak or pathetic.  No, this was all about him and her giving him something.   
   
He kissed her again, and she shivered as his hands caressed her.  Bunching her shirt up and off, his mouth moving over her body.  Making her feel needed and wanted.  She started to shake as he undid her pants, his own shirt tossed forgotten into a corner.  He slid them off and she told herself she was just cold, the heat really did need to be adjusted in the room.  
   
Eliot wrapped her up again, and smiled down at her. "You think too much."  
   
"Most people say I don't think at all."  It was out of her mouth before she could stop and damn this stupid case.  
   
"I'm not most people," Eliot replied before shushing her with another kiss.  Parker felt herself relax and when he settled between her legs it was all right.  This she'd done before, more than she liked to think about and it was simple.  Easy, the rhythm of life and she tried not to giggle as that Lion King movie popped into her head.  Eliot got perturbed when she giggled during sex.   
   
Eliot moved, and Parker gasped.  It always hurt just a bit the first time.  Eliot stilled and waited, and his hand pushed the hair away from her face again.  She didn't know why he wanted to see her, why he wanted to look at her face this time when every other time it never seemed to matter.  She wasn't sure she liked it and she was close to calling it, telling him to get off of her and she wasn't doing this but then he kissed her and moved and she was lost.  It was good, better than good and soft, as if he thought she'd break if he didn't keep control.  She hated it and loved it and wanted it to stop and never to stop again.  She clutched at his shoulders wanting to bring him closer or push him away she wasn't sure and when he stilled inside her, and kissed her neck she felt tears streaming down her cheeks and herself shaking again.  
   
"Parker?" he asked and she shook her head, not sure herself why this was so hard.  Why this hurt like no other time did.  He slid out of her and pulled her against him.  His hands running down her back, but to soothe instead of arouse.  "What did he say?"  Eliot asked.   
   
"Who?"  Parker asked, wiping her eyes and grateful that he was pretending it never happened.  
   
"The guy you stabbed?"  
   
Parker frowned.  She didn't want to tell him, afraid that some freaky protective streak would make him want to hurt the jackass.  "It doesn't matter," she said.  
   
Eliot left it alone and Parker was grateful.  She was getting soft and she knew it was only going to hurt more when this whole thing ended, but maybe, just maybe, this time it was worth it.  



End file.
